Power HÃ¶r (2007)

Holy Mountain

Holy Mountain Records, home to Om (members of Sleep) and Six Organs of Admittance has come upon one of their more requisite âeclectic' sounding bands of recent memory -- Lesbian. Sure, the name evokes some interesting connotations but the music is powerful and analogous in its scope and implementation of variant music genres, making it a potpourri of metal influenced sonics.

Sweeping epic transitions with beautiful shimmering guitars intertwine death metal blast-beats with searing throaty barks from bassist/vocalist Dorando Hodous while guitarists Arran McInnis and Daniel La Rochelle interpose leads reminiscent of the best of thrash, black and classic metal guitar riffage. It takes some patience to get through some of the more grating parts (read above timberline black metal), but like any musical adventure, it's the journey that makes it all worth while.

Randall Dunn, producer extraordinaire of Boris, Sunno)), and Earth fame lends his adept ears to the album, bringing out the very best of what one would imagine to be a difficult sound to capture. Pieces of Black Sabbath, Neurosis, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mono, and Suffocation bubble to the surface in the four tracks, clocking in at just over an hour.

Lesbian has managed to capture elements of every metal subgenre available, doing it in a way that isn't contrived or âtricky.' Power HÃ¶r pays proper respect to the audacity of the band's name by tastefully distributing each badass riff accordingly.